Bangers and Mash

BANGERS AND MASH… Squid is fortunate in that Squid can ooze freely to Monterey County’s many destinations. For others, however, the journey can be long and involve some expense – which is precisely what the Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau wants. Too many tourists, it seems, drive in for the day and head home with much of their coveted credit intact. So the organization is reaching out to distant places. “If you’re coming from further away, you’re going to stay longer,” MCCVB’s Rob O’Keefe says. And if you stay longer, you are going to drop more cash, or so the thinking goes.

Accordingly, the bureau recently established a presence in England, contracting with a travel professional who will then spread the word to other travel professionals, who will then presumably book trips to Monterey County. It all sounds quite lovely, especially after the world was treated to postcard images of the area during weekend television coverage of the U.S. Women’s Open, during which English golfer Charley Hull made a run for the win.

Squid expects this move to pay off. From Squid’s understanding of British weather, tourists from the country will not be disappointed when they arrive expecting clear, sunny skies only to find damp, dreary fog. And there’s plenty of fish and chips options, too.

ROUND AND ROUND… Squid gets dizzy just thinking about the many ways in which the Monterey County Board of Supervisors has gone in circles when it comes to Laguna Seca Recreation Area. For nearly a decade, the county has been looking for an entity with money in the bank to run it, so that the county can stop bleeding cash for maintenance.

After months of negotiations, on July 11, the board was set to finally approve a concession agreement for up to 55 years with Friends of Laguna Seca. “This is our best option to get out from under the obligation to the general fund,” Supervisor Chris Lopez said, a sentiment echoed by Mary Adams and Luis Alejo.

But the votes weren’t all there. Supervisors Wendy Root Askew and Glenn Church had questions, specifically about a depreciation schedule. “My hope is that we end up with a 5-0 vote,” Adams said.

But Church wouldn’t get on board, despite saying, “I support this concept very much.” His plan was to abstain from voting: “I find this the most difficult vote since I’ve been on the board. I don’t see a vote I can put for this, or against it.” Adams seemed bewildered. “This is crazy, we’ve come so far,” she muttered.

But it turns out that abstaining isn’t even really a non-position; per county code, an abstention counts with the majority. So the board decided (unanimously) to punt the vote to July 18. Squid thought they might just keep spinning their wheels, but they finally voted 5-0 to enter into a contract.